Sarah welcomes ADHD coach Lisa Alecci back to discuss new insights on ADHD and hormones, including research linking estrogen to dopamine regulation and executive function changes during perimenopause and menopause. They explore how women with ADHD experience greater symptom severity (not more symptoms) during hormonal transitions, and how clinicians are increasingly adjusting treatment during pregnancy, postpartum, and perimenopause.

Lisa shares her “sandwich generation” reality—caring for a 92-year-old mother in assisted living while supporting adult children, grandchildren, and running a coaching practice—and explains how constant role-switching, decision fatigue, stress, and depleted emotional reserves can lead to overwhelm. She offers strategies like planning decisions ahead, building transition time, pausing to reflect and choose, recognizing cognitive/emotional/body warning signs, and prioritizing sustainable self-care through saying no, asking for help, simplifying, lowering standards temporarily, consistent medication, and scheduling recovery time.

00:00 Welcome Back Lisa

01:05 Hormones And Dopamine

02:25 Symptoms Get More Severe

03:22 Clinicians Finally Adapt

05:08 Sandwich Generation Life

06:49 Guilt And Overwhelm

09:09 Decide Ahead Of Time

10:56 Context Switching Burnout

13:51 Emotional Regulation Tax

16:10 Stress And Resilience

18:04 Starting Over Again

19:35 Self Compassion Shift

20:05 Decision Fatigue Costs

22:21 Pause Reflect Choose

23:40 Overwhelm Warning Signs

27:06 Irrational Anger Clues

28:47 Real Self Care Tools

33:02 No Done Only Stop

34:46 Acceptance In Phases

35:50 Liminal Space Mindset

36:54 Wrap Up And Connect

🧡 This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/rebelmomma.

Connect with Lisa Alecci: adhdfreedom.com | lisa@adhdfreedom.com

What if you’ve spent your entire life believing you were the problem... when ADHD was the missing piece all along?

In this episode of Rebel Momma Pod, host Sarah Castañeda sits down with Liz Lewis, writer, ADHD advocate, and author of You Are Not the Problem: Late-Diagnosed ADHD Women and the Invisible Forces That Shape Us.

Liz shares her journey from rediscovering her ADHD after becoming a mother to spending four years researching and writing a book that gives voice to the experiences of women diagnosed later in life. Together, they explore why so many women miss an ADHD diagnosis, how educational trauma affects creativity, and why writing with ADHD doesn’t have to follow conventional rules.

They also discuss the emotional impact of receiving an ADHD diagnosis as an adult, overcoming rejection sensitivity, managing expectations, and creating meaningful work without comparing yourself to everyone else.

Whether you’re newly diagnosed, navigating motherhood with ADHD, or dreaming of writing your own book, this conversation offers practical encouragement and validation.

🎯 What You’ll Learn:

• Why so many women receive an ADHD diagnosis later in life

• The emotional reality after finally getting diagnosed

• How motherhood often uncovers hidden ADHD symptoms

• Why educational trauma affects confidence and creativity

• Practical advice for writing with ADHD

• How to overcome perfectionism and rejection sensitivity

• Why comparing yourself to neurotypical writers doesn’t work

• The mindset shifts that helped Liz complete her first book

🧠 Topics Discussed:

• Late-diagnosed ADHD in women

• ADHD and motherhood

• Writing a book with ADHD

• Educational trauma

• Executive dysfunction and creativity

• Rejection sensitivity

• ADHD advocacy

• Women’s mental health

• Self-expression and journaling

• Building confidence as a writer

💡 Key Takeaway:

Being diagnosed later in life doesn’t mean you’ve failed, it means you’ve finally found the missing context. When you stop trying to fit neurotypical expectations and begin working with your ADHD instead of against it, creativity, confidence, and self-acceptance become much more possible.

📚 Resources Mentioned:

• Book:

  You Are Not the Problem: Late-Diagnosed ADHD Women and the Invisible Forces That Shape Us

• Website:

  Healthy ADHD

• Substack:

  Yes, And by Liz Lewis

📢 Connect with Liz Lewis:

• Website: Healthy ADHD

• Substack: Yes, And by Liz Lewis

• Instagram: @lizlewiswrites (mentioned during the conversation)

• Email: healthyadhd@gmail.com

🔔 Don’t Forget:

👍 Like this episode

💬 Comment: If you were diagnosed with ADHD later in life, what changed for you the most?

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations about ADHD, midlife, burnout, motherhood, neurodiversity, creativity, and living a life that works for your brain.

LISTEN

What if the best productivity hack isn’t another app, AI tool, or social media strategy?

What if it’s simply walking away?

In this episode of Rebel Momma Pod, host Sarah Castañeda sits down with ADHD coach Russ Jones, founder of ADHD Big Brother, for an honest conversation about social media addiction, doomscrolling, entrepreneurship, accountability, and building a life that aligns with your values.

Russ shares why he deleted Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, how social media was impacting his mental health, and why he believes many adults with ADHD are trapped in systems that drain their attention and energy. Together, they explore the pressure to constantly scale, hustle, and stay visible online, and what happens when you decide to do things differently.

They also dive into the power of accountability, why AI can’t replace human support, and how community can be one of the most effective tools for adults with ADHD.

This episode is a refreshing reminder that success doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s version of success.

🎯 What You’ll Learn:

• Why Russ chose to leave social media behind

• How doomscrolling impacts ADHD, productivity, and mental health

• The hidden pressure of personal branding and online visibility

• Why scaling isn’t always the right business goal

• The difference between AI accountability and human accountability

• How daily support can help adults with ADHD follow through

• What Russ calls “productivity leaks” and how to identify them

🧠 Topics Discussed:

• ADHD and social media addiction

• Doomscrolling and time management

• Entrepreneurship and burnout

• Authentic marketing without social platforms

• Accountability partners and community support

• AI tools for ADHD

• Weekly planning and activation strategies

• Building a business that feels sustainable

• Mental health and depressive episodes

• Finding success on your own terms

💡 Key Takeaway:

You don’t have to build your life around platforms, algorithms, or someone else’s definition of success. Whether it’s social media, business, or productivity, the goal isn’t to scale endlessly. It’s to create a life that works for you.

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

ADHD Big Brother

https://adhdbigbrother.com

📢 Connect with Russ Jones:

Website: https://adhdbigbrother.com

🔔 Don’t Forget:

👍 Like this episode

💬 Comment: Could you quit social media tomorrow? Why or why not?

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations about ADHD, burnout, midlife, productivity, and creating a life that works for your brain.

#ADHD #AdultADHD #Productivity #MentalHealth #SocialMediaDetox #ADHDBigBrother #RussJones #RebelMommaPod #Entrepreneurship #Accountability #Burnout #Doomscrolling #ADHDCoach #Neurodivergent #SelfImprovement

LISTEN

Does your burnout feel like a deep, dark secret you’re not supposed to talk about?

That was me.

I was in college and talking to someone at the height of their career.

In passing, I referred to a past burnout episode.

They stopped me dead in my tracks.

“Don’t say burnout.”

It was well-meaning.

I’m still hearing some version of this.

Here’s the thing:

Burnout is totally a thing (but)

Nobody’s going to tell you that.

But it’s definitely, definitely a thing.

And when you can define the issue.

You can start the process of addressing the issue.

Instead of pretending nothing is happening.

Are you a woman with ADHD who is scattered AF but refuses to give up on herself? Want a FREE session to get your sh*t together without shame ... comment or message me the word “RESET” 👇

Have you ever pushed through when you shouldn’t have?

You tell yourself it’s just allergies.

Your calendar is packed.

Your plate is full.

You don’t have time for this.

That was me.

That was me recently.

I made it to my therapist appointment with my “allergies”.

Where they told me to drop into urgent care on the way home.

It wasn’t allergies.

It was the flu.

2 shots & a bunch of pills later, I finally got the rest I needed.

That’s all I needed.

I had made the effort to get the flu shot.

I was one of the first in line for the COVID shot in 2021.

But learning how to f*cking rest?

Sometimes you have to learn lessons more than once.

So what are you pushing through today?

Do you ever think of all the time lost … being lost?

There’s an entire generation of us late-diagnosed ADHD women - and the statistics are sobering:

Women with ADHD are significantly more likely to struggle with disordered eating.

We’re 3x more likely to struggle with substance abuse.

On average, we live nearly 9 years less than the average person.

(In this picture, I’m working real hard to become a statistic, but I didn’t know it at the time.)

All this to say ... maybe give yourself a break next time you’re trying to format that spreadsheet while your baby is fussing in the background.

Are you an overwhelmed woman with ADHD who needs to get her sh!t together?

You know what needs to happen, but there’s always something else competing for your attention.

Meanwhile, the mail collects and a lighter life feels farther away.

I’m taking on 3 women who want an easy-to-follow plan to reclaim their sanity.

No rigid requirements that only work for neurotypicals.

Just something that fits into your day and keeps you consistent.

I worked with an overwhelmed creative who had too much internal chatter ….

By the end of our first session, she was putting ideas to paper again.

If you want help with this…

Reply SANITY and I’ll send more details over ASAP

Does having ADHD make everything feel like an avalanche every day?

Supporting aging parents. Raising kids. Keeping up with work.

And no matter what you do, someone is getting a version of you that is stretched too thin?

That was me.

Work calls from hospital parking lots. Meds and food reminders intermingled with calendar invites.

A team looking to me for project updates, my daughter looking to me for a tickle fight.

It’s absurd to be under an avalanche and watch the world continue to turn. When we have ADHD, we often blame ourselves because we're used to it being our fault.

But don’t get it twisted - you aren’t weak.

You’ve been strong for too long.

Stuck is a signal that something needs to shift.

Not a verdict that you are the problem.

Have you ever felt like your entire life happens in the margins as a woman with ADHD?

Work calls in parking lots.

Emails from the driver’s seat.

Childcare pickups and car sickness on your lunch break.

And no matter how hard you try, you’re failing and it’s your fault.

That was me.

I was taking client calls between childcare pickups, trying to sound calm and capable while my brain tracked traffic and “do we have enough wipes” at the same time.

I would hang up from these calls and immediately feel like both a bad worker and bad mom.

My reward was waking up to do it all again the next day.

Nobody’s going to tell you how insane this is. Nobody’s going to invite you to stop. Especially when their comfort rests on how much you can pile on yourself.

I’m testing a new offer for women with ADHD who feel stuck and in constant chaos and want to feel calm and in control again.

I want to make sure it’s as helpful as possible, so I’m offering a free one hour beta session where I’ll walk you through a simple reset focused on stabilizing your energy and helping you actually move through your day without chaos.

All I ask in return is a short review about your experience.

Want in?

Comment or message me “BETA” to learn more.

Have you ever felt like you were living two lives in one as a woman with ADHD?

Showing up as the reliable worker all day, and then doing a second shift at home …

And still telling yourself you’re somehow behind at everything?

That was me when I was back at work after having a baby.

I was always stressing over stuff like which position my baby slept in, in between meetings and edit sessions.

Meditating in my car to survive the day, trying to will myself happy, because happy moms make happy babies.

Speeding home to make bedtime, completely wired yet completely exhausted, stealing glances at the clock from the rocking chair and feeling guilty for it.

Subsisting on frozen grain bowls that I could quickly microwave and two daily carafes of cold brew.

I was massively over-functioning in every direction - at work, at home, emotionally, mentally - and still grading myself like I was failing.

It took me a long time to realize the problem wasn’t that I wasn’t doing enough.

It was that I was holding myself to an absurd standard.

That doesn’t help me, and that doesn’t help my daughter.

Have you ever felt completely trapped by your circumstances?

You tell yourself “This is just how it is,” like your current season is a permanent sentence.

That was me.

For years I called myself a shitty gardener and treated every dead plant as evidence I couldn’t grow anything.

Turning a skill gap or a rough patch into a full-blown identity.

“I’m just bad at this, I’ll always be this way.”

Then I decided to keep one plant alive.

Being a shitty gardener quickly shifted to “I’m building my garden.”

Sometimes I have a nice selection, other times I forget to prepare for a deep freeze and need to start over.

So what.

I’m testing a new offer for high achieving women who want help with focus and accountability.

I want to make sure it’s as helpful as possible, so I’m offering a free one hour beta session.

All I ask in return is a short review about your experience.

Want in?

Message me “BETA” to learn more.

Have you ever landed a job and everyone around you assumes you’re thriving?

But inside you’re barely keeping your head above water.

That was me in my first corporate job, pre-ADHD diagnosis.

On paper, this job was everything I was supposed to want.

On the inside, something didn’t feel right.

I was drowning in the pace, the stimulation, the constant pressure to keep up.

My body was exhausted, which is quite a feat when you’re at a desk all day.

My brain was working overtime to navigate the complex layers of policies, procedures and people.

I wasn’t sure what right looked like, but I was damn sure I was wrong.

And I could not understand why I could not hack it like everyone else.

It took me a long time to realize that most people aren’t hacking it.

And that thriving is more than excelling at your job.

Thriving is having the life you want at a level that your nervous system can actually withstand ... and maybe even enjoy on the good days.

Not every day is going to be a parade.

But every day shouldn’t feel like a funeral.

For high-achieving women tackling burnout …

If I showed you how to move from feeling scattered and overwhelmed to executing a clear battle plan in 30 days …

Without:

- Bending to everyone else’s systems and betraying yourself

- Over-committing to a program that’s not right for you

- Reinventing the wheel when you already have working knowledge

Just like Teri, who went from feeling overwhelmed and creatively blocked to clear, focused and actually in motion again.

Would you want that?

Reply “YES” and I’ll send you the info to get started.

​I’ve been working on something brand new.

If you’re a high-performance woman who is giving everything to everyone else but feeling like you’re constantly on the edge of burnout…

​If I offered to show you exactly how to get your self-care under control and reclaim your energy…

​Without:

​Being told what to do by people who haven’t actually walked the wall.

A long-term commitment into something you may not even want.

The pressure of having to be perfect.

​Would you take me up on that?

​I recently helped Terry, a member of our community, go from feeling stuck to stepping back into her creative flow and getting clear on next steps. I’m looking to help a few more women do the same.

​Would you want the details?

​Reply "READY" and I’ll send over the info!

Have you ever discounted your own work?

Like anyone could do what you’re doing, so you just move the goalposts every time you hit a milestone and never let yourself actually feel proud?

That was me.

I started podcasting about mental health with zero clue I’d end up in the top 100 in my category.

Or build a body of work I’d be deeply proud of years later.

I would just keep creating these episodes, telling myself it was just a silly little hobby.

Ignoring the evidence right in front of me …

The emails and reviews from listeners who were helped by my episodes.

Appearances in top lists. Getting invited to other shows and panels.

In the moment, I just kept pushing, never pausing to see that I was quietly building something important.

And that I was kicking ass all along, even when I refused to see it.

Nobody’s going to give you permission to kick ass.

And nobody’s going to tell you when it starts happening.

Hello! Enjoy this throwback episode of The Adulting With ADHD Podcast while we continue to work on fresh interviews for Rebel Momma Pod!